This invention relates generally to drive systems and energy sources for automobiles. More specifically, this invention relates to an improved drive system for an automobile that generates motive force from multiple sources.
For many years, most vehicles, including cars, trucks and the like, have relied upon an internal combustion engine fueled by petroleum products as its drive system. Such engines incorporate intake valves for introducing an air fuel mixture into a cylinder, a piston for compressing the air fuel mixture, means for igniting the compressed air fuel mixture, and exhaust valves for removing the burned air fuel mixture from the engine and out an exhaust system. Such engines have traditionally run on gasoline or diesel fuels. The advantages of such internal combustion engines are well-known, including having high power, speed and range. However, there are many disadvantages to such internal combustion engines, including both fuel efficiency and high emissions.
Recently, the automotive industry has been developing automobiles that rely on alternative fuel sources, such as electricity, hydrogen, natural gas and the like. The idea of using electric only powered cars has been in place for decades. However, such cars have too many disadvantages, including low speeds, low range or distance to be traveled, heavy and inexpensive batteries, etc. Hydrogen or fuel cell-based technology is currently not feasible due to the technological hurdles which must be overcome and the high cost of such vehicles.
More recently, hybrid vehicles have been introduced into the marketplace with much greater success. Such vehicles typically use a combination of gasoline and electric sources of power as their drive systems. The internal combustion engine which runs on traditional petroleum fuels is used to initially propel the vehicle, and assist the electric drive system, such as when climbing hills and the like. Aside from batteries containing electricity, the car itself is designed so as to regenerate electricity due to the braking of the car, which electricity is transferred to the battery for operating the vehicle to the greatest extent possible from the electrical drive system. However, these vehicles, while having high fuel efficiency and low emissions, in many cases do not have the power or speed of more traditional vehicles running solely on internal combustion engines. Nonetheless, with the increasing cost of gasoline, hybrids have become a more attractive option to consumers. In fact, the Brazilian automotive company ZAP has recently introduced a vehicle driven by gasoline, electricity, and alcohol fuel sources.
There is a continuing need for a multi-source vehicle drive system for improving fuel efficiency, lowering emissions, yet still providing sufficient power, speed and range. The present invention fulfills these needs, and provides other related advantages.